School Gardens: Unpacking the Potential to Reduce Food Insecurity Among Alabama’s Children

This applied sociological study examines school-aged children’s food insecurity in Montgomery, AL and Troy, AL (USA). This study used a one-group pretest-posttest research design to investigate if gardening and nutritional activities could be used as an effective applied sociological intervention to reduce levels of food insecurity amongst school-aged children. Statistical results found that several of the participants live in urban food deserts. Food insecurity scores were higher for participants in Montgomery compared to those in Troy, AL. The relationship between parental income, household size, and location were important indicators for measuring food insecurity amongst participants. Recommendations for future research include expanding the scope of study to different sites and climates with larger samples to enhance our understanding of gardening and nutritional educational activities on food insecurity amongst school-aged children.